Comments on: AAA Policy Briefs http://savageminds.org/2008/01/25/aaa-policy-briefs/ Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog Fri, 25 May 2012 11:29:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Rex http://savageminds.org/2008/01/25/aaa-policy-briefs/comment-page-1/#comment-194308 Rex Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:42:03 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2008/01/25/aaa-policy-briefs/#comment-194308 This just in from the AAA themselves: Kerim, thank you for calling attention to the AAA Public Policy Briefs. We appreciate this attention, and would also like to note that more AAA policy briefs are forthcoming. To offer suggestions for future topics, please contact Damon Dozier, Director of Public Affairs, at ddozier@aaanet.org or 703-528-1902 ext. 3008. Note: Dinah Winnick is no longer the contact for these briefs. Information about the AAA Public Policy Briefs and other Government Relations news will be included on the Public Policy/Advocacy pages of the redesigned AAA website. The redesigned website is set to launch in early February. Thanks! Jennifer Steffensen AAA Media Relations Assistant This just in from the AAA themselves:

Kerim, thank you for calling attention to the AAA Public Policy Briefs. We appreciate this attention, and would also like to note that more AAA policy briefs are forthcoming. To offer suggestions for future topics, please contact Damon Dozier, Director of Public Affairs, at ddozier {at} aaanet(.)org or 703-528-1902 ext. 3008. Note: Dinah Winnick is no longer the contact for these briefs.

Information about the AAA Public Policy Briefs and other Government Relations news will be included on the Public Policy/Advocacy pages of the redesigned AAA website. The redesigned website is set to launch in early February.

Thanks!

Jennifer Steffensen
AAA Media Relations Assistant

Report this comment

]]> By: Rex http://savageminds.org/2008/01/25/aaa-policy-briefs/comment-page-1/#comment-193315 Rex Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:48:28 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2008/01/25/aaa-policy-briefs/#comment-193315 but but but... but everyone _else_ is doing it...! but but but… but everyone _else_ is doing it…!

Report this comment

]]> By: Richard Irvine http://savageminds.org/2008/01/25/aaa-policy-briefs/comment-page-1/#comment-193206 Richard Irvine Tue, 29 Jan 2008 03:13:57 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2008/01/25/aaa-policy-briefs/#comment-193206 Tut tut, if the American Psychological Association jumped off a cliff, would you want to jump off a cliff too? :P And with that I'm going to bed. Tut tut, if the American Psychological Association jumped off a cliff, would you want to jump off a cliff too? :P And with that I’m going to bed.

Report this comment

]]> By: Rex http://savageminds.org/2008/01/25/aaa-policy-briefs/comment-page-1/#comment-192820 Rex Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:10:44 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2008/01/25/aaa-policy-briefs/#comment-192820 I think we need to be a bit realistic here. Richard writes that "whether a professional body can take a position on behalf of a discipline is the real concern". But in fact disciplinary associations do this all the time. Consider the following: "American Psychological Association press releases and position papers":http://www.apa.org/releases/ "American Sociological Association advocacy page":http://www.asanet.org/cs/root/leftnav/advocacy/advocacy "American Political Science Association Press Room":http://www.apsanet.org/section_77.cfm In America, at any rate, this sort of thing is a regular part of how our institutions work. It _is_ throwing our hat into the ring, so the easy objectivity of nonparticipation is not an option, and the hard option of judicious engagement requires a lot of competence which, I must admit, the AAA may or may not prove to be possessed of... I think we need to be a bit realistic here. Richard writes that “whether a professional body can take a position on behalf of a discipline is the real concern”. But in fact disciplinary associations do this all the time. Consider the following:

“American Psychological Association press releases and position papers”:http://www.apa.org/releases/

“American Sociological Association advocacy page”:http://www.asanet.org/cs/root/leftnav/advocacy/advocacy

“American Political Science Association Press Room”:http://www.apsanet.org/section_77.cfm

In America, at any rate, this sort of thing is a regular part of how our institutions work. It _is_ throwing our hat into the ring, so the easy objectivity of nonparticipation is not an option, and the hard option of judicious engagement requires a lot of competence which, I must admit, the AAA may or may not prove to be possessed of…

Report this comment

]]> By: Richard Irvine http://savageminds.org/2008/01/25/aaa-policy-briefs/comment-page-1/#comment-192533 Richard Irvine Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:12:34 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2008/01/25/aaa-policy-briefs/#comment-192533 While I am not American, and so not under the aegis of the AAA, I find it worrying that they are taking it upon themselves to speak for a whole discipline on political matters. Having read the document, I can see the worth in advertising the anthropological scholarship and getting the word out that "this is what anthropologists have written". Yet I am suspicious of the claim that "These theme-focused briefs do not take a position on public policy issues". To enroll research within a political program in order to show it supports or undermines a particular piece of legislation is going to involve taking a position. To say "Ethnographic research supports the underlying assumption of the Employee Freedom of Choice Act" is taking a position. Whether that position is right or wrong is not my point here: whether a professional body can take a position on behalf of a discipline is the real concern. It is a perfectly reasonable thing (and perhaps even a duty) for anthropologists and groups of anthropologists to take a position on things. But I don't think it's the job of a professional body to act like they're speaking for "all of us[you?]". While I am not American, and so not under the aegis of the AAA, I find it worrying that they are taking it upon themselves to speak for a whole discipline on political matters. Having read the document, I can see the worth in advertising the anthropological scholarship and getting the word out that “this is what anthropologists have written”. Yet I am suspicious of the claim that “These theme-focused briefs do not take a position on public policy issues”. To enroll research within a political program in order to show it supports or undermines a particular piece of legislation is going to involve taking a position. To say “Ethnographic research supports the underlying assumption of the Employee Freedom of Choice Act” is taking a position. Whether that position is right or wrong is not my point here: whether a professional body can take a position on behalf of a discipline is the real concern. It is a perfectly reasonable thing (and perhaps even a duty) for anthropologists and groups of anthropologists to take a position on things. But I don’t think it’s the job of a professional body to act like they’re speaking for “all of us[you?]“.

Report this comment

]]>